On a windy Friday evening on UNR’s campus, about 100 students and Reno residents gathered, saying and singing chants in front of UNR’s gym.
In that group was a student, Erica, who declined to give her last name. She was at the event because she wanted to see what could be done to bring awareness locally, she said.
“It’s inspiring, first of all. It goes to show that the younger generations are going to fight for what we believe is right. Social justice is never-ending,” she said.
In recent weeks, protests on college campuses across the nation have called attention to the war waged in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to Gaza health authorities, following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials.
In some of these chants, the group called out both Nevada U.S. Sens., Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto. Some were holding signage, some of which read, “End genocide."
In the beginning half of the protest, a truck drove near the adjacent street, honking the horn, with an Israel flag on the back. And in the last hour, more cars showed up, honking their horns with waving flags. Some passersby yelled at the larger group, as well.
Two local police vehicles were stationed nearby.
Larger protests on other college campuses across the nation have ended in mass arrests and have resulted in canceled graduation ceremonies.
KUNR’s Ember Braun is a student at the Reynolds School of Journalism.